Scouting Report

An explosive scorer with impressive range as a jump shooter, Monk burst onto the national scene in his first season at Kentucky. The pinnacle of his immediate impact came in a UK freshman-record 47-point performance in which he knocked down eight 3-pointers in a victory over eventual national champion North Carolina in the CBS Sports Classic in Las Vegas. The guard averaged 21.7 points while shooting 41.6 percent (92 for 221) from 3-point range and 83.9 percent from the foul line before fading down the stretch. Monk scored just 13 per game while hitting 29.3 percent from downtown and 75.7 percent from the free-throw line in his last eight contests. He wasn't much of a factor with 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting and four fouls in the Wildcats' 75-73 loss to the Tar Heels in their NCAA regional final. Still, Monk remains an intriguing prospect because of his ability to hit spot-up jumpers as well as use the dribble to create space and get out on the fast break. He shoots the ball with nice touch and was never shy about putting up deep, contested 3-pointers from NBA range. Some scouts, however, question Monk's shot selection and whether he'll be able to create his own opportunities at the next level. It's widely believed that he'll need to improve his ball-handling and passing ability to develop into a scoring point guard as opposed to being labeled an undersized shooting guard. On the defensive end, Monk will have to become more consistent and disciplined when it comes to applying ball pressure and not allowing opposing guards to get past him off the dribble. He could struggle when trying to defend bigger guards, though Monk does have the potential to get stronger and grow into his frame. Because there's no doubting his ability to shoot the ball, Monk will likely be a top-10 pick.